Mechanism for feeding articles to machines



Feb. 13, 1945. J KAY 2,369,575

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING ARTICLES TO MACHINES Filed Feb. 5, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 13,1945;

J. A. KAY

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING ARTICLES T0 MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1944 3 5 Arroauzxs FIG. 2

INVENTOR'. Y J.A.KAY.

Feb. 13, 1945. J. A. KAY

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING ARTICLES TO MACHINES Filed Feb. 5, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGA.

FIG.5.

NTOR J.A.KAY.

97W Y W I a (f ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 13, 1945 U T '5 A TE T I l 3,369,575,, I

MECHANISM FOR meme Alumnae .TO MACHINEg Jam s A ffll "Kay Gainsborough, England,

' signor to Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Lim- 'ited, -Gainsborough, England, a British com- 5- Glaims. (c1; 198723) i in en i n; relate-s 0 mechanism iorieeding' articles to machines and ere articularly to such mechanism for feeding containers oi libreboard or similar material to a machine for operating on the containers.

The-feeding mechanism according to" the innt n c pr a f ed P tform or amp1el an endless belt) upon which the containers are placed and which arranged to feed the cont'ainers to a machine for operating on the containers, a fixed stop arranged in the path 'of' movement of the containers atone side of the feed platform, means for guiding the containers towards that side of "the platform so that the containers successively engage'the fixed stop, dis.

, engaging means arranged to move theleadin'g container transversely of its normal path of movement and" thus free it from engagementwith the fixed stop, the disengaging means being-an ranged to operate in timed relation to the mamovable stopto be returned to its stop position inthepath of'movement of the containers. The movable stop and movable feeler are preferably pivoted and the movable stop is conveniently spring-urged into the path of-movement of the containers.

By way of example the invention will now be describedin greaterdetail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, as applied to a machine for closing and sealing fibreboard or like con-- tainers, the machine being similar to that described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,348,650 to which reference may be made for any details not apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, a

Figure '1 is an elevation of the feed end of an apparatus for closing and sealing previously filled containers,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a'plan view similar to Figu're 2,

showing certain movable parts at a different stage durin theprosress o the. ontaine s th ough the F gural 4 and 5 re enl rge eleva on plan v w spectiv ly of deta or th appa ains:

Referrin t the draw ngs, contai ers w ich a e been pre iously fi led. for xample vw th mall pa ka s nd each o wh ch h itsbotom flaps osely 9. .d .d t form t base pith ainer. ar pla d on a feed b l2; @9 5- tunn t lat qr th upper ap oi t e be h me u -Po ted on asc o i icclrm lmt l e s it; Th fee bel i2 i dr ven :b s hcfi i c rm uh dt' n h main f amework of-the'apparatus, through chain and sprocket gearing n, The feed belt is ba nsni egg miner H wa id'an 'd p i th e?) a su port consisting of two sets at inclined rollers Id disposed in the track of a conveyor consisting of a pair of parallel chains l9 connected by t rar ijsverse pusher barszl which serve 'tocarry the containers through the closing and sealing apparatus." a

Theieed belt 12 carries the containers Hbetween side guide'sE-Q to one of which is attached a leaf spring which urges the containers l'l towards the opposite side "guides 2;2-, and as the containers move fcrwardfthey meet a pair of stops 2% and -26 arranged in the path of movement lefthe containers (seeFigure 2) and being disposed Zone. 1 each de .e the fee b lt l th re Mb fi s di PQ Si' on he cl mat sid of t f d el l P ha .tonta nins the leaf spring e th t con ainers a e tieu lr d b ib l il pr n i wa rqs he sis cont P- 'n' fih fi 'Q' QP-ififli st p hi fixe hile the stopais i any moun ed a 21 in a r 'c l sa a to h ql we sidesuioe !v on t a ii. ol If h mac ne T smelt e Videdwith an arm 29 that is short in relation to the distance from the axis of the pivot 21 to the portion of the stop engaging the container H. The arm 29 is formed with a forked extremity for the accommodation of a pin 3! depending from one arm 32 of a two-armed member 32, 33 pivoted at 34 in the bracket 28. The extremity 36 of the arm 33 constitutes a feeler which is urged into the path of movement of the containers by means of a spring 31 attached at one end to the arm 33' and at'the other on the adjacent side guide 22. The arms 32 and 33 are approximately equal, and it will be seen that any movement of the feeler 36 will cause ,a greater .movement of the stop 26 becauseof the relative shortness of the arm 29. The fixed stop 24 and the movable stop 26 together restrain the containers l i from forward movement until a lateral pusher 38 moves transversely of the path of the containers to push the leading container clear of the fixed stop 24. The pusher 38 is mounted on a shaft 39 arranged to reciprocate in timed relation to the pusher bars 2| under the influence of a cam 40 and a two-armed lever 4|, 42, one

arm M of which carries a cam roller 43 arranged for engagement with the cam 40, the other arm being formed with a forked extremity for engagement with a pin 44 extending from the shift 38 carrying the pusher 38. A spring 46 maintains the cam roller 43 in operative engagement with the cam 40.

As the leading container H is moved transversely by the pusher 38, it moves into engagement with the feeler 35 which thereupon pivots and causes the pivoted stop 26 to move out of the path of movement of the container so as to allow the feed belt :2 to forward the leading container and deposit it on theinclined rollers 18, the pivoted stop 26 springing back into stop position under the influence of the'spring 31 as soon as the container is free of the feeler. The pivoted stop is thus again in position to stop the next succeeding container H which, in the meantime, has been arrested by a flange 41 extending from the pusher 38 for the purpose of separating it from the preceding container. The sequence of operations is then repeated.

The timing of the pusher 38 is such that as each container II is deposited on the inclined rollers 18 a pusher bar 2! moves up behind the container to carry it through the closing and sealing apparatus.

It will be seen that the provision of the fixed and movable stops 24 and 26 avoids any uneven drag on the container by the feed belt 12, a feature of considerable importance when dealing with containers made from weak board.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for feeding articles to machines comprising a feed conveyor upon which the containers are placed and which is arranged to feed the containers to a machine for operating on the containers, a fixed stop arranged in the path of movement, of the containers at one side of the feed conveyor, means for guiding the containers towards that side of the conveyor so that the containers successively engage the fixed stop, disengaging means arranged to move the leading container transversely of its normal path of movement and thus free it from engagement with the fixed stop, the disengaging means being arranged to operate in timed relation to the machine aforesaid, a movable stop arranged in the path of movement of the containers at the other side of the feed conveyor, a movable feeler arranged to be engaged by the side of the container adjacent the movable stop, the movable feeler being connected to the movable stop in such a manner that as the container is moved by the disengaging meansit engages the movable feeler which thereupon causes the movable stop to move out of the path of movement of the container, and means Ior separating the leading container from the next succeeding one so as to allow the movable stop to be returned to its stop position in the path of movement of the containers.

Apparatus according to claim l, wherein the movable stop is pivoted and provided with an arm that is short in relation to the distance from the pivotal axis to the point or engagement between said stop and the container, and wherein the movable i'eeler is pivoted and provided with an arm of at least the same length as the ieeler, said arm being connected to said short arm by a pin and slot connection.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable i'eeler and movable stop are springurged into the path of and into contact with the container respectively.

4. Mechamsm for feeding articles to machines comprising a reed conveyor upon which the containers are placed and which is arranged to Ieeo'. the containers to a machine for operating on the containers, a fixed stop arranged in the path of movement of the containers at one side or the feed conveyor, means for guiding the containers towards that side of the conveyor so that the containers successively engage the fixed stop, a reciprocating pusher arranged to move the leading container transversely of its normal path of movement and thus free it from engagement with the fixed stop, the reciprocating pusher being arranged tooperate in timed relation to the machine aforesaid, a movable stop arranged in the path of movement of the containers at the other side of the feed conveyor, a movable ieeler arranged to be engaged by the side of the container adjacent the movable stop, the movable feeler being connected to the movable stop in such a manner that as the container is moved by the reciprocating pusher it engages the movable feeler which thereupon causes the movable stop to move out of the path of movement of the container, and meansior separating the leading container from the next succeeding one so as to allow the movable stop to be returned to its stop position in the path of movement of the containers.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pusher is provided with a flange extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the containers and arranged to arrest each successive container so as to separate it from the preceding one.

JAMES ARTHUR KAY. 

